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Wilberforce

Wilberforce refers to a surname and, less commonly, a given name. The best-known bearer is William Wilberforce (1759–1833), an English politician and leading abolitionist who campaigned for the end of the British slave trade. A member of Parliament and part of the evangelical Clapham Circle, he helped found the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1787 and was instrumental in the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807, which ended the British Atlantic slave trade. His later efforts contributed to the broader abolition of slavery in the British Empire, culminating in the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, enacted shortly after his death.

Wilberforce University is a private historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. Founded in

Wilberforce is also the name of a community in Centre Hastings, Ontario, Canada. The settlement, named to

The Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE) is a research center at the

In addition to these uses, Wilberforce remains a surname borne by various individuals and families.

1856
by
the
American
Missionary
Association,
it
was
named
in
honor
of
William
Wilberforce
and
is
one
of
the
oldest
historically
black
colleges
and
universities
in
the
United
States.
honor
William
Wilberforce,
lies
southeast
of
Peterborough.
University
of
Hull
in
England.
It
focuses
on
the
history
of
slavery
and
emancipation
and
related
studies.